The camapaign utilizes voiceover narrative and simple scenes to focus on the emotional impact of a sick child on loved ones. It’s hard to imagine someone not being impacted by these spots, which are very relatable and seriously depressing. The campaign is intended to “raise general awareness of the hospital and its great needs” and it certainly doesn’t pull any punches in doing so, putting viewers in the uncomfortable position of a teen who is about to hear that her sister was just in a serious accident, a man whose child has been sick for the past six months, or a man who is in the waiting room while his four-year-old niece undergoes cardiac surgery. These are seriously painful moments that DARE Vancouver utilizes to stress the importance of the cause, and they don’t make for easy viewing.

“For a family with a sick child, the struggle can be overwhelming and all consuming, said DARE Vancouver creative director Addie Gillespie. “We wanted to shed light on those moments when everything changes and a family most needs the support of those around them. We also wanted to make the spots relatable – we can all imagine the intense pain these families are feeling and how helpless we might feel in the same situation.”